Chapter 472

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

After all eight shrimp were washed clean, Lu Feng set down the soft-bristled brush and took a small carbon-steel knife from the tool rack.

The blade was thin and bright, catching a cold gleam under the lights.

He pinched a river shrimp with his left hand, pressing his thumb against its back, and with his right hand guided the knife along the curve of the shrimp's back in a light stroke.

A shallow, even slit instantly opened on the shrimp's back, and a bit of shrimp juice seeped from the shell's seam.

Immediately after, Lu Feng lifted the knife tip gently, and a translucent shrimp vein was removed intact.

The black line on the shrimp's abdomen was also flicked and wiped away in a casual turn, cleaned in an instant.

The whole motion was so fast it dazzled the eye, executed in one smooth flow; even the most seasoned chef's movements weren't this practiced.

Lu Feng's shrimp-handling technique was not only quick but precise, like a surgeon operating.

The depth of his cut on the shrimp and the force used to pull the vein were just right, ensuring the shrimp meat stayed whole while thoroughly removing the innards, preserving the meat's tenderness to the utmost.

"This Boss's knife skills are impressive!"

Liao Tong, by the counter, couldn't help leaning close to Zhang Xianyang's ear and whispering, "These knife skills are even more incredible than our hospital's chief of surgery!"

"Mm, you probably can't develop knife skills like that without ten or eight years of practice, right?"

Zhang Xianyang nodded in full agreement, sighing in admiration, "The key is Boss Lu is still so young — truly admirable!"

After removing the shrimp veins, Lu Feng's motion of pinching off the shrimp heads was also clean and decisive; fingertips gripping the head, a gentle twist, and the head separated from the body, taking the innards inside with it.

Then he used his fingertips to peel gently along the slit on the shrimp's back, and the translucent white shrimp meat came out whole.

The processed river shrimp tails still kept a fanned, spread shape; Lu Feng placed them on a clean white porcelain plate to the side, then began on the next river shrimp.

He processed shrimp at extreme speed — all eight river shrimp done in just two minutes.

In the white porcelain plate, eight shrimp tails lay neatly aligned, the translucent white meat against the white porcelain looking nearly transparent.

At the counter, the diners had gone quiet from their earlier clamor, all watching Lu Feng's hand movements in silence, eyes fixed, afraid to miss a single motion.

Even the ordering voices of the queuing diners lowered considerably, as if afraid of disturbing Lu Feng handling the ingredients.

Liao Tong stared at the processed shrimp tails in the white porcelain plate; he had originally felt a pang spending nearly six hundred yuan on one dish, but seeing this flawlessly handled shrimp meat, he suddenly felt his pang was a bit unnecessary.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Boss Lu's skill at cleaning and shelling is absolutely amazing!"

The angler who had shown expertise earlier couldn't help speaking up, his voice full of awe: "I've dealt with these water creatures for many years, and I've seen the techniques of those bosses in the aquatic markets handling river shrimp countless times, but not one can compare to Boss Lu's technique!"

"Exactly, this technique leaves me dumbfounded."

Liao Tong nodded in agreement: "I think if Boss Lu ever stops being a chef, he might still become a formidable surgeon."

"Worthy of Boss Lu — his ingredient-handling technique is master-level."

Zhang Xianyang leaned in, nodding repeatedly at the processed shrimp tails in the plate: "Look at his butterflying knife work just now — depth just right, both sides even thickness; who would've thought handling something as small as river shrimp could control force this precisely? At another restaurant, forget matching Boss Lu's meticulous handling — whether they could even use river shrimp this fresh is questionable. No wonder Boss Lu's Fengwei Shrimp costs 588 a portion; just watching the processing makes it worth the price!"

"Looks like this time I really get to eat authentic Fengwei Shrimp out of town."

Liao Tong's face couldn't help showing an expectant expression.

When Lu Feng earlier said his Fengwei Shrimp was authentic Jinling style, he didn't believe it in his heart.

A northern small city like Jiangcheng — how could anyone make genuine Fengwei Shrimp?

The reason he ordered this dish was partly because he didn't believe Lu Feng could produce the authentic Fengwei Shrimp of his hometown, and partly a genuine impulse.

Because on the way to Lu Family Restaurant, Zhang Xianyang had kept telling him how amazing the Boss's culinary skill was, that whatever he cooked was super delicious.

The diners who had ordered and were waiting at the counter now also lacked their earlier clamor, all whispering to each other, as if afraid of disturbing Lu Feng making this Fengwei Shrimp.

The queuing diners behind also stretched their necks one by one, watching Lu Feng cook in the kitchen with rapt attention.

These discussions and gazes all fell on Lu Feng in the kitchen, but none affected his cooking rhythm.

For him, his job was to make delicious food; seeing the satisfied smiles on diners' faces after they ate made him feel fulfilled.

Lu Feng picked up an egg with one hand, fingertips pinching the shell, and casually cracked it on the bowl's rim.

Then his fingers exerted slight force, a soft "crack" sounded, and a neat fissure opened on the shell.

Lu Feng held the cracked egg suspended above the plate and rotated it a few circles; the egg white flowed down like a transparent silver thread, sprinkling evenly over each shrimp tail, yet not a drop touched the tail shells.

When the egg white had fully drained, he raised his hand and shook the inverted shell; the intact yolk remained steadily inside.

This move made the watching diners surprised once more, yet also feeling it was only natural.

After all, the one-handed egg-cracking technique had been performed by Lu Feng many times before; but a technique like this — using the wrist to fling out the white while keeping the yolk — was the first time they'd seen it.

A few diners who could cook couldn't help an itch in their hearts, secretly planning to try Lu Feng's technique themselves after they went home.

Lu Feng turned and took a green porcelain jar from the seasoning rack; lifting the lid revealed fine sea salt inside.

He scooped half a spoon of salt with the spoon and sprinkled it evenly over the shrimp tails in the plate.

The shrimp tails needed a brief marination to let the salt flavor penetrate.

Taking advantage of the marination time, Lu Feng began preparing the Fengwei Shrimp's side ingredient.

The side for Fengwei Shrimp was peas; the peas Lu Feng took out were purchased from the System Mall.

These were the System Mall's exclusive Jiang Nan Spring First-Pick Peas, harvested from the first mature vines before Qingming, the most tender peas; the pods looked much plumper than common market ones.

Lu Feng nimbly peeled the pods, carefully extracting the peas inside to avoid damaging the extremely thin transparent seed coat wrapping each pea.

Then he rinsed the peeled peas clean under a thin stream of water, set a stainless steel pot on the stove, and poured in half a pot of clear water.

This water was also the Mountain Spring Water from the System Mall — the same kind diners often drink at Lu Feng's shop.

The mountain spring water had no off-flavor when boiled, carrying a thread of sweetness, best suited for preserving ingredients' original taste.

The water in the pot quickly boiled; Lu Feng poured in the peas, which rose and fell with the rolling water, the originally tight grains gradually swelling slightly.

Lu Feng timed it well; once the peas were cooked, he immediately grabbed a slotted spoon, scooped the peas out of the pot, and placed them into the white porcelain bowl beside him.

The white porcelain bowl held half a bowl of clear, transparent water—this was Snow Lotus Water provided by the System Mall, water formed from the initial snowmelt on the snow lotus flower.

This water was extremely pure and unpolluted, carrying a faint, cool fragrance of snow lotus flowers, making it perfectly suited for cooling the cooked peas.

This not only removed the bean odor but also let the peas carry the fragrance of snow lotus flowers, making them taste even more fragrant and sweet.

After the peas were prepared, the shrimp tails in the white porcelain plate beside him had also just reached the right curing time.

Lu Feng took out a small pot, placed it on the stove to heat over the fire, and when the pot began to faintly smoke, he picked up a bottle from the operation counter, which contained Fengwei Shrimp Special Oil.